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More Cedar Rapids families move back into their homes

May 18, 2010 By

Two years after record flooding struck Cedar Rapids, another 14 families moved back into their refurbished homes today. Hundreds of volunteers from churches across the continent spent the past six weeks focused on rebuilding the cluster of houses in the eastern Iowa city. Matt Hackworth, spokesman for Church World Service, says it’s a thrill to hand the keys back to the homeowners.

“Today’s celebration is a big deal for us because this is what it’s all about, helping families return back to their homes,” Hackworth says. “We returned 14 Cedar Rapids families back to their homes so they can begin to put the flood behind them and go on with their lives.” He says the volunteers devoted about 9,000 hours of labor to this neighborhood restoration effort in the past month-and-a-half.

“The 36 member communions of Church World Service managed to bring together around 400 volunteers from across the U.S. and Canada,” Hackworth says. “Mainly, the volunteers worked one-week shifts so we got a new crop of volunteers every Sunday that were happy to help repair homes here in Cedar Rapids.”

Today’s ceremony was held outside the repaired home of a retired couple who have spent the past two years living in a small apartment. Hackworth says they were elated to return to their home and neighborhood of more than 40 years after it was inundated by the 2008 floods.

“Cedar Rapids is certainly still a city in recovery,” Hackworth says. “There’s still quite a bit of work to be done. You can drive along the streets and see that. We’re hoping that this project at least helps be a catalyst so that some of these homes and the recovery work can proceed, hopefully at a more expeditious pace.”

Based on more than 60 years of experience, Church World Service has a mandate to provide long-term recovery assistance for the most vulnerable who are impacted by disasters.

For more information, visit “www.churchworldservice.org“.

Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters

DCI confirms name of shooter in Adams County standoff

May 18, 2010 By

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation has confirmed the identity of the suspect in the shooting in Adams County Monday evening. The D.C.I. says 16-year-old Daniel Beardsley, who lives at the Clarinda Academy, had assaulted a staff member at the academy and escaped by stealing a pickup.

Beardsley then went to the home of Matthew Herrig of Brooks and shot Herrig when he came home shortly after 5 p.m. Herring was shot in the right arm and stomach. He was taken to an Omaha hospital where his condition is not know.

The D.C.I. says Adams County deputy Jason Swanson responded to the report of shots fired at Herrig’s home and was then fired upon by Beardsley. The deputy and his vehicle were hit by the gun fire, and the deputy was treated for minor injuries.

An Iowa State Patrol negotiator convinced Beardsley to come out of the residence around 8:30 in the evening. Beardsley was charged with two counts of attempted murder, and the D.C.I. says more charges may be filed.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

Large crowd greets Dalai Lama in Cedar Falls

May 18, 2010 By

About 7,000 people packed U.N.I.’s McLeod Center this morning to listen to a panel discussion between the Dalai Lama and several panelists, focusing on education in a nonviolent world.

The discussion began about 25 minutes late and featured questions from the four panelists directed to His Holiness. There were lighthearted moments, like when the Dalai Lama said he was happy to be in the state and demonstrated his trouble pronouncing the word Iowa.

It’s the first visit to Iowa for the Nobel Peace Prize winner, in a trip that included earlier stops in Indiana and Wisconsin. The 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet will also give a speech today about education and its importance in our increasingly global society.

By Elwin Huffman, KOEL, Oelwein

Filed Under: Human Interest, Religion Tagged With:

Six of seven GOP candidates in third district debate

May 18, 2010 By

Six of the seven Republican candidates who want to face-off against Democratic Congressman Leonard Boswell in November debated this morning in Des Moines.

Five of the candidates stressed their “outsider” status as candidates who have never before run for public office, a contrast with Boswell who is seeking an eighth term in congress. Third district candidate Pat Bertroche of Urbandale is a physician.

“We all know that the problem with America is not Americans, it’s congress,” Bertroche said.  “And we need to have people in there that are not beholden to special interests, that are fearless and are able to go out and serve the people of Iowa.”

Candidate Jim Gibbons, a former Iowa State wrestling coach, talked about his 17-year career as a financial advisor. ”I take a look at what’s happening here with our government actions and the size and scope of government — it’s become too large,” Gibbons said. “And we need to get back to fiscal responsibility, the same kind of fiscal responsibility that millions of Iowans all across this state are having to step up and do in this financial crisis.”

Candidate Dave Funk, a retired airline pilot from Runnells, said it’s time to protect the American people from an “overreaching” government. ”We need people who are willing to go up to Washington and reduce the size and scope of the federal government and shrink it down and stop the stupid spending,” Funk said.

State Senator Brad Zaun, the only candidate in this Republican race who is an elected official, stressed his record in the state legislature and as mayor of Urbandale.  ”I mean, I can say that I have actually dropped taxes,” Zaun said.  “I could say that I have made government more efficient based on my record of experience.”

Candidate Mark Rees touted his “analytical” approach to solving problems, but seemed to struggle — admitting he was “stalling” for time as he answered the debate’s opening question. ”I’m not a career politician,” Rees said.  “I’ve never run for any office before in my life.” 

Candidate Scott Batcher of West Des Moines said government officials have forgotten that “We, the People” are supposed to be the customer.  “What I’d like to see is basically us getting back to the roots of electing a businessman into the office,” Batcher said.  Batcher is a businessman. 

Jason Lee Welch of Grimes is the seventh candidate to file the paperwork to get his name on the ballot for the Republican party’s nomination in the third district congressional, but he did not participate in today’s debate.  The debate was sponsored by The Des Moines Register and WHO-TV.  Watch the replay here.

Filed Under: Politics & Government Tagged With: , ,

Report says shooter in standoff was a 16-year-old

May 18, 2010 By

A source is identifying the alleged gunman in last night’s shooting and standoff in a small community in southwest Iowa’s Adams County. The source which asked not to be identified, says the suspect is 16-year-old Daniel Beardsley, a student at Clarinda Academy.

Beardsley was said to be riding in the back of an academy vehicle with another student yesterday afternoon, grabbed the other student around the neck and threatened to strangle him, unless the driver pulled over. After stopping, the staff driver was allegedly stabbed in the face and shoulder by Beardsley, who grabbed the keys.

Beardsley then drove off, leaving the student and staffer behind. He drove to Brooks and allegedly broke into the home of Matt Herring. When Herring came home from work, he was shot three times. A responding Adams County deputy was also shot. The suspect surrendered after about three hours.

The source says Beardsley was considered by the academy as a risk for assault but not for escape or truancy. Neither authorities nor the academy have confirmed the shooter’s identity.

By Mike Peterson, KMA, Shenandoah

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

Man files complaint over traffic stop involving the governor’s driver

May 18, 2010 By

A Des Moines man has filed a complaint and, according to a TV station, is demanding an apology from the governor over a traffic stop on Sunday afternoon. Governor Chet Culver and his son, John, were in the governor’s official vehicle — a black S-U-V — when the trooper who drives the governor says a car cut off the S-U-V in city traffic.

Jessica Lown a spokesperson for the Iowa Department of Public Safety says, “The trooper saw a driver who was driving erratically and cut (the trooper) off, so he attempted to make a traffic stop on this driver,” Lown said. The man who was driving the car tells it differently, saying the governor’s S-U-V nearly hit his vehicle.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Politics & Government Tagged With: , ,

Grassley wants answers on oil rig regulation

May 18, 2010 By

As wads of gooey tar wash up on beaches as far away as Key West, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is sending letters to a federal agency, B.P. and two other companies involved in the Gulf of Mexico oil rig explosion and spill. Grassley says he wants answers about media reports that claim federal regulators looked the other way as safety precautions were skirted or ignored.

“From the Department of Interior, I want to know how its Minerals Management Service responded to prior reports and recommendations of its own inspector general,” Grassley says, “and about conflicts of interest statements from members of an Interior Department board, responsible for examining safety procedures for offshore drilling.”

Grassley is also asking whether all -other- wells in the Gulf are in compliance. He’s also requesting copies of communications between B.P. and Transocean which may shed light on why the oil rig exploded. Iowa Congressman Bruce Braley has introduced a bill in the House that would raise the cap on the amount of damages a company can be assessed following an oil spill. Grassley says he’ll support the bill but hasn’t settled on a dollar figure.

“I don’t have the slightest idea why there is a cap and I think it’s only ten-million (dollars) and it oughta’ be more,” Grassley says. “Exactly how much more, I don’t know. Should there be any limit? I’m not sure I’ve come to a conclusion on that but I’m sure for raising the limit X-number of dollars and I’ll figure that out as time goes on.” Much like the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska in 1989, Grassley expects the environmental cleanup of this latest far-reaching spill to involve a very lengthy process.

“Solving this thing won’t be done for years, you know, so we’ve got an opportunity,” Grassley says. “Besides, in this particular instance, BP has said they intend to pay everything so I don’t know whether a cap is even an issue for this cleanup.” Grassley is the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over oil spill liability trust funds, as well as tax incentives for deep-water drilling.

Filed Under: Politics & Government Tagged With: ,
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